Hillai Govreen

Hillai Govreen is a saxophonist, clarinetist and composer based in NYC. Hillai’s upcoming album Every Other Now features some notable names of the NY music scene such as Steve Cardenas (guitar), Eric McPherson (drums), Café da Silva (percussion) among others. The album is set to be released in June 2025 under the Fresh Sound label. Hillai Govreen has collaborated with a wide range of international musicians, including George Cables, Allison Miller, Arturo O’Farrill, George Colligan, Steve Cardenas and Harold Rubin. She has toured across India, Europe, Israel, and the U.S. and has performed at notable New York venues such as Dizzy’s Club, Smalls, Mezzrow, Birdland, National Sawdust, and Ornithology. Hillai is an endorsing artist for P. Mauriat clarinets and saxophones. She graduated with honors from The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music in 2020, where she studied with renowned musicians including Anat Cohen, Chris Cheek, Tony Malaby, Billy Harper, Steve Cardenas, and Reggie Workman. Hillai Govreen developed a passion for music early on. She started learning classical piano at the age of 6, and at 12, she took up the clarinet. During high school, Hillai was awarded musical scholarships from the American Israel Cultural Foundation for four consecutive years and played first clarinet in the Young Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra. She was also honored as an "Outstanding Musician" and received a full scholarship to study at the Barenboim-Said Academy in Berlin.